This is a review of the Polisport Junior Guppy seat – suitable for children weighing between 22 and 35 kilo. I’ve also reviewed the Polisport Guppy Mini Baby Seat suitable for children up to 15 kilos / 33 lbs in weight which you can read here.

The step-up to three kids brought with it a new car, new house, no pelvic floor and less cycling. With two toddlers we’d trekked around with one kid on each bike strapped into rear mounted seats but as they got taller it was trickier to wedge them into the kiddie seats. Then with three bambinos the balance tipped – literally, ad by last Summer we were due a bit of a re-think about how we’d manage our much-loved bikes.

I’m not sure at what stage you can really let a kid cycle on their own while you follow behind but I can safely say my 6-year old brainiac is nowhere near ready, so for us bike seats were the only solution. The opportunity to do this Polisport review came at a very handy time so! Spidey was doing his ill-fated stint at Summer Camp . I was bringing him into work for an hour in the morning before nipping down the (heavily trafficked) Quays to bring him to camp, before dashing back to the office to resume my ‘day job’. The bike was essential in missing a minimal amount of time on the trip and the Junior Guppy bikeseat made it all possible.

The seat itself is quick and easily to fix – even when working under ridiculous time pressure and with three little pairs of hands trying to ‘help’. The seat comes assembled and is simply mounted on a rear carrier and fixed in place by turning easily adjustable knob. An additional safety belt then secures it to the frame.

Two foot rests are mounted on the frame for the little one’s feet. One plastic disk on each side prevents the little shagger darling from putting the feet in the spokes – a problem I’d encountered with our last seats. These footrests are easily tucked away when not in use and can also be adjusted for longer legs. The seat has its own adjustable safety belt so the child feels secure and comfortable – and you have no fear of losing them! There’s a small reflector on the back of the seat too.

When fixed to the bike the seat is not easily removed.- an advantage where you can park relatively safely but perhaps something of a draw back if your bike parking is less than secure and you’d prefer to bring your seat with you. This didn’t bother me though as our office bike parking is off-street, but know my husband’s arrangements would be less suitable.

Even though he’s a tall 6-year-old, getting Spidey on and off the seat still requires a bit of balancing work as he can’t climb up into the seat himself. I generally lean the bike up against a wall or railing and lift him in place, and do the reverse to get him off. It’s a little bit of a pain – but fairly standard stuff for a kiddie seat in my experience.

The Junior Guppy is lightweight – much more so than our last seats, and a cool design. The seat is ergonomic and comfy and – even with an older child on-board, surprisingly easy to cycle when fully loaded. The hard plastic is easily wiped dry of rain – a plus in our soggy climate. Ours came in white and dark grey, but there is also an all-grey version available. Spidey is very comfortable in it and hopefully it’ll see us through until he’s allowed to cycle on his own.

The Junior Guppy has proven a big success for us and will no doubt get plenty of road testing from the three monkeys in our house. We’d give it a big thumbs up!

Full details on the Polisport Junior Guppy are available on the Polisport webpage- here. The seat costs about €50 and is available from bricks and mortar shops – or online from retailers including Amazon.co.uk.

I was given a Polisport Junior Guppy Seat for review purposes. I was not paid to write this review and the opinions stated are wholly independent, and my own.

Post navigation

9 thoughts on “A Review of the Polisport Junior Guppy Seat”

I just ordered this seat last night as it sounds perfect for trekking tiny 7 yr old around to her activities here in The Netherlands. I realized that I haven’t seen any photos of using this on a bike with saddle bags (panniers). Is it out of the question to use them with this seat on as well? I have a basket on front but not sure it’ll carry everything and I can’t wear a backpack obviously 😉

Clever woman! I totally forgot to cover the back-packless point. It’s a pain in the Proverbial! I took to rucksack on my front (not comfy) and on my handlebars (simply stupid) but neither are a great solution – so I’ve actually been meaning to buy a basket!! Quick release or stay-on panniers won’t work because of the footrest. Have you checked out a bike frame bag like this – not massive but maybe handy?? http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00I06FRT0/ref=mp_s_a_1_14?qid=1448751652&sr=1-14&pi=AC_SX110_SY165

This looks so much cooler than our hand-me-down no-name seat. Ours works fine but I haven’t used it with an over 2 year old. It is just that bit insecure. We weitched over to a bike trailer when Number Two was about 18 months and Number One was 3. Now, at 5 and 7 years old, both are able to cycle with me following behind / alongside them. We are lucky though that we live in a village. In a city I would still have them in the trailer.
Great review. I must tell my sister about this seat.Fionnuala recently posted…The Arrival Of Advent With Its Wreaths, Calendars and Cookies

Hello, thanks for the review. Just a practical question: How tall is your (not so little) boy? We are also facing the situation of our much-smaller-than-her-peers 8 y/o daughter not at all being ready to cycle by herself, and I am curious if this would be a suitable solution for her.
Thanks,
Peter

I shall measure that self same child this evening Peter and let you know. Apologies for the delay coming back – he’s grown at least an inch since March and happily still fits in the guppy!! Dimensions to follow….

Hi there. We’ve had no problems at all with that part and its worn well. My now nearly 8-year old is too lanky for this seat but the near 6-year old is happy enough on it so there’s plenty of miles left in it! Let me know how you fare with it. H